Alka looked at the mirrors lying before him. Within them, various demons roared and howled.
The earliest sealed demons were already huddled in the corners of the mirrors. Perhaps they had already realized they were sealed.
After all, demons accept their sealed state quite quickly.
Alka picked up one and examined it carefully.
The demons within the mirrors were clearly unable to see outside and were unaware that Alka was observing them.
The demon in Alka's mirror wasn't blood-red like the others, but rather an orange-red, as if composed of lava.
Its body was covered in armor made of jet-black iron plates.
From its appearance, it was clear that it was a demon adept at manipulating lava.
This demon had only just reached the fifth stage of strength, making it one of the weaker of the sealed demons.
The weakest of these sealed demons was at the fifth stage, with two powerful demons reaching the sixth stage, also sealed by Alka.
However, after sealing two sixth-stage demons, Alka stopped attacking them. The main reason was that sealing a sixth-stage demon on the battlefield took much longer than sealing a fifth-stage demon.
They were easily distracted by other demons, and it was much easier to kill them directly than to fail at the last moment.
Although Alka had also killed many weaker demons, he didn't bother sealing them in the mirror.
Weak demons who died in the real world and returned to the Abyss often struggled to survive.
The Abyss is a true law of the jungle. How could a soul returning to the Abyss without any problems when the body dies in the real world be without problems?
After returning, they would be in a weakened state within the Abyss.
For these weaker demons, this was a fatal blow.
Only these high-level demons of the fifth and sixth stages have the energy to consider a way forward for their rebirth.
At this stage, demons have been able to temporarily suppress their chaotic impulses, though they remain difficult to control.
Of course, the main reason is that sealing demons requires a considerable amount of mana. Alka had already discovered his mana was running low in the later stages of the battle, so how could he possibly devote it to weaker demons?
By the latter half of the battle, Alka had given up on sealing the demons.
His mana was running low.
However, this long and fierce battle had already given Alka considerable experience, and he was gradually accustomed to this place.
Next time, he would do his best to control his attacks, targeting the more powerful demons, ideally sealing them all.
Alka instilled fear in those powerful demons at the mere sight of him.
Because he would grant them eternal death.
With this thought, a mirror materialized in Alka's hand, and a whirlpool began to spiral inside.
One after another, the sealed mirrors fell into it, entering the dream world.
The kingdom could now add new life.
However, Alka didn't send all of them into the dream world, but instead kept a few sealed mirrors. The demons sealed within were relatively rare types, and they had left a certain impression on Alka during the previous battle. He planned to observe them.
After completing this, Alka lay down on his bed and sank into a dream. He also had the opportunity to chat with Sofia and the others in the dream world.
He also hugged Ping An and talked about his experiences in the Magic Defense Fortress.
...
As Alka spent more and more time in the Magic Defense Fortress, he gradually became accustomed to the frequency of battles there.
In short, the most important thing in the Magic Defense Fortress is to only deal with the opponents you are responsible for.
Whether they were stronger or weaker, they would naturally avoid them whenever possible.
The demons' weaknesses were still evident here: despite their numbers and considerable strength, once a fight broke out, they would become a chaotic mass, making it impossible to predict their course.
The only option was to charge and attack. As for retreat, that depended on the situation. Failure to retreat would result in death in the process.
Furthermore, once the attack began, the entire battle required the demons to be reduced to a certain number before they would gradually retreat.
In this situation, the fortress's defenders, despite being several times outnumbered by the enemy, had to form an elite formation, relying on the coordination of their weapons, various defensive devices, the towering walls, various buffs, and shields to attrition and resist.
Thus, everyone here clearly understood their role.
Most soldiers were at the third stage, while the elite soldiers affiliated with the various major factions and the church were able to surpass the third stage limit and reach the fourth stage.
They were required to cooperate with each other to resist the attacks of the vast majority of demons below the fifth stage.
The rest of the forces capable of wielding treasures naturally targeted those at the fifth stage and above, engaging in one-on-one combat based on their respective strengths.
Of course, in most cases, the defending human forces would face off against several demons alone. With the help of treasures or the cooperation of several treasure-wielding individuals, they could defeat the enemy with fewer troops.
This is why it's important to minimize mana consumption.
Because you don't know the exact intensity of a battle or how long it will last.
Often, demons would swell in number as the fight progressed, even reaching a head-on level. The intensity of the battle, which originally required two rings, would escalate to a level requiring four rings, resulting in extremely intense combat.
Alka even experienced a battle that lasted three days and three nights. He had to be rotated out during this period. After a full night's rest, he finally experienced the feeling of falling asleep without having to deliberately drift off.
"Demons are attacking!"
Hearing the sound from the front, Alka, who was leaning against the wall, lost in thought, immediately stood up.
He was covered in demonic blood, which had already solidified on his clothes and some armor.
Although Alka didn't need armor very often, he still wore a set of soft armor.
Mainly because these soft armor pieces were very easy to clean, saving a lot of time.
"Master Alka, don't you need to rotate out for a rest? You've been holding out here all day," a nearby knight ran over and asked Alka.
Now it was time for Alka to be rotated out.
Hearing this, Alka waved his hand calmly, "No need. I still have most of my magic power and my stamina is good. I can continue."
Hearing this, the knight nodded without further comment and left.
After all, whether or not a rotation was needed depended primarily on the individual's condition.
Alka had been fighting here for a month or two, accustomed to the high-intensity combat and knowing how to precisely control his magic power.
Having barely stood up and taken two steps, a figure plummeted from the sky like a cannonball.
Seeing this, Alka immediately waved his hand.
The elemental network quickly began to absorb the impact of the figure, allowing it to land steadily beside Alka.
The figure was none other than the Holy Blade Saint Annafiel, her armor tattered and dented, her body smeared with blood.
She looked nothing like a saint now, more like a berserker stalking a battlefield.
Annafiel, wielding a sword, rose from the ground.
Blood smeared her long golden hair, and she looked like a demon crawling out of a pool of blood.
Even the metal eye mask on her glasses was cracked.
However, Alka seemed accustomed to seeing saints and saintes with this appearance, showing no surprise at all.
Even her expression remained unchanged.
With a gentle wave of her hand, the element of wind gathered and streamed water around the Holy Blade Saint, washing away the impurities on her body. The water immediately turned a murky red.
Under Alka's control, she flew to the foot of the city wall.
"Thank you."
Annafiel thanked her casually, took a few breaths, and, clutching her two weapons, prepared to charge into the sky again.
But Alka held her back. "Going up there in your current state will only injure you, and you'll need to waste several days recovering." Alka said, looking up at the sky.
Just above the city wall, about twenty or thirty meters above, a demon with broad bat wings flapping pointed in their direction, grinning and laughing.
Amidst the laughter, a long-range attack from molten fire flew towards them.
Most demons possess the skill to manipulate lava.
This demon's strength was exceptionally formidable, practically on the verge of breaking through the seventh stage and reaching the eighth.
It was a renowned figure throughout the battlefield.
An orange-red figure flew out from the tower behind and charged straight at the demon. Clutching a broadsword, they engaged in a battle in the sky.
Seeing this, Annafiel, who was being held captive by Alka, stopped and sat down to rest.
"Why do you always have to deal with this demon?" Alka asked, somewhat puzzled.
Although most of those on their side who possessed treasures were stronger than demons of the same level,
They wouldn't go to such lengths to deal with demons.
Not to mention, demons also rank higher in quality as their power increases. The reason they were able to achieve invincibility against demons of the same level was primarily due to their possession of treasures.
In other worlds, this would fall under the purview of rules; even the smallest rules are still rules.
Normal demons below the sixth stage generally lack this level of strength, but once they reach the sixth stage and above, the situation is different.
Demons at this level of strength have more or less begun to master the rules, and they have truly gained this understanding through a lifetime of experience and battle.
Using them is infinitely more effective than using treasures. Therefore, the gap in strength narrows as one advances.
This is why the Demon-Proof Fortress is constantly staffed with a multitude of powerful individuals, yet they won't act rashly.
They fear that the demon Twitch might send a swarm of powerful demons to attack the city. If the magic power of some powerful individuals is depleted, they'll be at a disadvantage and vulnerable to further attacks, potentially putting them in danger.
"That demon will be purified by me one day. Then I'll ask you to seal it for me." Annafiel didn't answer Alka's question, but instead spoke of other matters.
Hearing this, Alka nodded.
The area he'd been fighting in during this time had been the main defense of the city wall by the Church of the Holy Mother.
Therefore, he'd mostly fought alongside members of the Church of the Holy Mother.
The intense battles had long since made Annafiel aware of the purpose of Alka's Sealing Mirror. Alka didn't hide this fact.
After all, some demons had begun to deliberately avoid fighting Alka, clearly indicating that some of his abilities were beginning to spread among the demonic side. However, this didn't stop some reckless and violent demons from continuing to trouble Alka.
A large number of demons had no fear of death at all, only seeking to fight.
"I can't guarantee I can seal such a powerful demon," Alka said nearby.
He'd tried, but his abilities weren't enough to seal demons above stage six. It would take a lot of time in the middle of the morning—how could it be possible?
He couldn't even seal powerful, well-known demons within the sixth stage, easily being interrupted by other demons.
The main reason was that he didn't have the opportunity, and no one else would give him one. It obviously wouldn't work on the battlefield, unless he were somewhere where he could fight alone.
Hearing Alka's words, Annafiel glanced at him.
Silently, she said, "Your advancement speed is much faster than mine."
"Are you sure you can defeat him once you reach stage seven?" Alka suddenly asked. Because when he first arrived, he'd already noticed that Annafiel was about to break through to the seventh stage, and now she was practically at the threshold.
"Almost there."
Annafel was soon rotated out for a rest.
Arka rushed directly to the front of the city wall and casually sealed several of the most aggressive demons, transforming them into mirror cards.
However, before he could dispatch any more, another demon charged directly at him.
He was held captive.
"You again?"
Arka looked at the demon; he clearly recognized it.
This demon was considered thin for the entire demon family, not much different from a normal adult.
And its skin color was an extremely strange, light gray, covered in dark black scales.
Even the wings on its back weren't the bat wings typical of demons, but rather something resembling bat wings with feathers, looking incredibly strange.
Furthermore, this demon was a conjoined entity. Atop its shoulder sat another demon with a large, single eye, its entire body taking up half its entire body, like a tadpole.
In Alka's eyes, the eye demon was a separate being, at the peak of Stage Six, while the frail main body was barely entering Stage Seven.
"Alka, you should have some ability to completely wipe out these wretches, right? While I'd love for you to kill them all, there's nothing I can do. I have to stop you."
This demon was one of those rare ones who spoke without anger, a completely intelligent one, appearing remarkably calm.
Mainly, they spoke their own language. For demons, most spoke the language of the Abyss, making communication nearly impossible.
The fact that they had learned their own language was enough to prove that this demon had been here for a long time. He was also considered a reasonable person among the demons.
Clearly, they were specifically targeting him.
In his recent battles with him, Alka had barely gained any advantage.
He unleashed various elemental attacks into a concentrated force, striking the enemy.
This enemy seemed adept at this task, the various elemental powers having little effect on him, clearly targeting Alka.
But he couldn't defeat Alka either.
Ever since realizing that Alka didn't care much for Kalande, Kalande seemed to have gone into hiding again, only surfacing occasionally.
It seemed their sole goal was to force Alka to appear in the demon-proof fortress.
Because of Alka's ability to completely eliminate demons, they sent this demon to target Alka, often restraining him in battle, and the two would fight for an entire day.
A black feather transformed into a dark light, passing by Alka's cheek.
After dodging by tilting his head, Alka's body became illusory and appeared in the distance, and the place where he just stayed appeared
A strange spiral.
If he had been there just now, he would have been sucked in.
The sound of space shattering, like the sound of a shattering mirror, echoed.
The demon opposite vanished in an instant, transforming into a mist-like existence, fleeing from the spot he had just been.
"Two against one, is that tadpole on your shoulder your brother?"
Aka taunted casually as he fought.
But the two demons on the opposite side didn't care at all, simply countering Aka's moves.
After many battles, the two had long since become familiar with each other.
Aka could use the mirror's reverse world to catch the enemy off guard, and with the power feedback from his dreams, he could quickly eliminate the enemy before him.
But he didn't do so.
Because he planned to save this move for Kalande.
Lately, this demon seemed to have regained its strength, although it was still in hiding.
But it won't be long before he returns to his original state.